By Cameryn Wilson
To be or not to be…academically gifted as a young black child.
She was passionate and always kept education at the forefront of her mind. Education was something that was not taken lightly in her family. Making sure to put intricate thought into every statement and every conversation, she would later (more times than she could count) be called “articulate” for pursuing her aims of high academic achievement. She attended predominately white schools from kindergarten through college, which gave way to a chance to truly express what it looks like to be a young, educated black child. Most of the time, her achievement was seen as a competition by her counterparts, both those who were white and black. Like most children, she always had a solid plan to attend college and graduate with a degree that would allow her to help people. She was driven, she was committed, and she took her academics very seriously as she also had a fear of failure and amounting to nothing.
From kindergarten, she showed accelerated academic advancement and would later be placed in a gifted and talented program, which is an educational program that was created to meet the needs of students who had exceptional abilities in one or more academic areas. In her case, reading and writing were her strongest suits. Not only did she value obtaining knowledge and skills; she also believed that it was just as important to develop a strong ethical background because this is what would drive most of her academic decisions. She has throughout her academic career encountered various ethical dilemmas, and each one prompted a challenge that helped to shape her understanding of responsibility, academic involvement, and academic integrity. The goal of this blog post is to reflect on her academic experiences and express how ethics has played a part in molding her academic career.
Academic integrity—the principles and values a student follows that help to guide their academic conduct—is at the base of her academic career. From the beginning, it was crucial to submit original work and give original thought to subject matters that were most important to her or subject matters in which research had to be done to obtain the knowledge needed to speak on the topic—like her college ethics class later on, which opened her eyes to another aspect of ethics and exactly what it is. By upholding this conduct, she was able to gain recognition and trust throughout all her academic career from teachers and professors. This also led to developing a strong sense of personal integrity and values.
As she progressed in her academic career, she got the opportunity to be a part of a program called BRAVE, in which she would go to other schools in Connecticut and essentially learn about different social issues, and conduct and be a part of group discussions that focused on these topics. She was also a part of her high school climate committee, and worked closely with faculty and staff to create programs and different events that focused on issues of racism within the school. As co-president of the Unity club, she helped to put together an assembly that homed in on the experiences of certain students, and was in this way able to spread awareness of mental health, personal experiences of racism in the school, and different ways that people could contribute to change. These experiences allowed her to develop and demonstrate ethical leadership skills, as she had to consider all outcomes and therefore went into these discussions and events with an open mind and the readiness to gain knowledge she did not have before. With that, she learned to embrace an environment that was inclusive to all, was supportive, and ensured fairness and a sense of transparency. Her goal was to inspire her peers to embrace ethical values and make positive contributions to their academic environments.
Ethical decision-making was a skill that she focused on throughout her academic journey. This included choosing the right schools, courses, and considering financial aspects. In this time period, she encountered situations where she had to take an ethical stand, and this played a major role. For example, in her junior year of high school, she began to research exactly where she should go for college as it would best fit her social and academic needs. She was fixed on going to a four-year school and knew that she would easily be accepted into her top schools, which included Central Connecticut State University, Conn, and the University of Maine. Her strong academic standing in high school indicated the ease it would take to get into these schools. She worked through and through with her high school guidance counselor and her mother to ensure that she was on the right track with her choices. The stigma associated with community college made her believe that if she attended one, she would not be doing enough. She later discovered on her own that this would never be the case. She carefully weighed the consequences and spoke with her family so that she could make a decision that closely aligned with her values, instead of those around her. She got into all three of the top schools but was presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. In her senior year of high school, the PACT—or Promise to Advance CT—program was introduced, which offered first-time college students fresh out of high school tuition-free community college. She knew right away that deciding to attend community college before going to a four-year university was the right choice for her. It was financially fitting and presented the opportunity to gain social relationships.
CT State Tunxis was where she would attend in Fall 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic; this was the best choice for her, as they offered online classes, and they had one of the strongest social work pathways. She followed through with the decision that would be best for her, and doors began to open. She has met professors who have recognized her academic successes and taught her information she will hold onto forever and a few days. With utilitarian views in mind, and the goal to achieve the best results amongst the most people, she was also given the opportunity to be a notetaker for a student in her class so that they would be able to receive the information in class just as everyone else did. As she closes in on her final semester at Tunxis, she highlights that she will be graduating with her associate degree in social work and an associate degree in general studies with a focus on psychology. She has plans to obtain her BA in Social Work from Central Connecticut State University and will attend in Spring ’24!
Her academic career has been transformative, to say the least, not only in terms of gaining knowledge but also in developing a sense of an ethical foundation that has helped to guide her academic choices to result in what it is that is “good” for her. She has upheld academic integrity, has made many sound ethical decisions, and learned to embrace her ethical leadership skills. As she continues to navigate the academic landscape, she commits to upholding these values in knowing that they will continue to lead her towards a successful academic future.
To be…an academically gifted black woman.
Cameryn Wilson is a sophomore at CT State Tunxis.
Comentários